Was offered the role of McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
In the 1990s, he kicked a cocaine habit of some 20 years.
States that Thief (1981) is one of his favorite films.
Son of Arthur & Sophie Caan.
Turned down plum roles in MASH (1970) & Apocalypse Now (1979).
Briefly lived at the Playboy Mansion in the 1970s.
One brother, Ronnie Caan, and one sister, Barbara (deceased c. 1981--leukemia).
Some sources give his birth year as 1939.
was originally slated to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972).
Spent 9 years on the pro rodeo circuit.
Has a black belt in karate.
Was a drama major at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York.
Sons, James Arthur Caan (b. 6 November 1995) and Jacob Caan (b. 1998).
Was screen tested for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972).
After being turned down by Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino, Julia Phillips inquired with James Caan's agent if he would be interested in taking the lead role of Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Caan's agent responded that he would read the script for a guarantee of $1 million plus 10% of the gross if he accepted the role. Phillips went with the original choice, Richard Dreyfuss.
Was considered by George Lucas for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977).
Two generations of his family and the Coppola family have worked together. James worked with Francis Ford Coppola most memorably in the first two Godfather films and in Gardens of Stone (1987). His son, Scott Caan, appeared in Sonny (2002), which was directed by Nicolas Cage, and featured Cage and his brother Marc Coppola. Sonny was also the name of James's Godfather character.
Appears in Misery (1990), which was directed by Rob Reiner. His son, Scott Caan, appeared in Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004), opposite Rob Reiner's father, Carl Reiner.
In the Godfather trilogy, Andy Garcia plays the son of James's character, Sonny Corleone. In Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004), James's son, Scott Caan, works with Garcia.
Grew up in Sunnyside, Queens, New York City
In his youth, his nicknames were "Shoulders" and "Killer Caan".
James Caan Detailed Biography
One of the most versatile actors in motion pictures, James Caan is best known for his Academy Award nominated performance as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and for his Emmy-nominated portrayal of football star Brian Piccalo in Brian's Song.
Appearing in more than 50 feature films over the course of his career, Caan also earned recognition in Rob Reiner's highly successful and critically acclaimed Misery, a psychological thriller based on the novel by Stephan King. In the film For the Boys, a romantic drama co-starring Bette Midler, Caan garnered similar acclaim, and he was praised for his performance as a brain damaged football star in Francis Ford Coppola's The Rain People, garnering the Best Actor Award from the San Sebastian Film Festival. He also received the Actor of the Year honor by the National Association of Theater owners at NATO ShoWest, for his role in The Gambler.
Born in the Bronx and raised in Queens, New York, Caan knew early on that he did not want to follow in his father's footsteps and work in the family meat business. He entered Michigan State University at age sixteen to study economics and play football, then transferred to Hofstra University to study law, where, during spring break, he was interviewed by and accepted to Stanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. He then won a scholarship to study with Wynn Handman. Later, Caan won the first four roles he auditioned for in the theater.
Caan began his career on stage in the 1961 off-Broadway production of La Ronde. He followed the role with a powerful slate of guest appearances in virtually every major television series.
Caan's other film credits include Cinderella Liberty, Funny Lady, A Bridge Too Far, Theif, T.R. Baskin, Slither, Rollerball, The Killer Elite, Another Man, Another Chance, Comes a Horseman, Gardens of Stone, Alien Nation, Flesh and Bone, The Program, Honeymoon In Vegas, Eraser, Mickey Blue Eyes, The Yards, and Way of the Gun. He directed, as well as starred in, the highly acclaimed film Hide in Plain Sight.
